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2 Sheets-Sheet l. E. BEACH.

Torpgdo for Oil Wells.

Patented Sept. 29, 1868.

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Torpedb for Oil Wells.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

jr wenZZ @w 9 ELIAS OF TITUSVILL-E, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 82,586, dated September 29, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN TORBEDOBS FOR OIL-WELLS.

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TO ALL WHOM I'll-MAY CONCERN:

- Be it known that I, ELIAS BEAOmot' Titusville, in the county ofCrawford. and State of Pennsylvania, have.

made certain new and useful Improvements in TorpedoesfonOil or otherWells, of which the following is'a full,

clear, and exact description, refcrenceboing had to the accompanyingdrawings, whichmake part of this specifics.tion, and in which- Figure 1represents a longitudinal section of my improved torpedo. Figure 2,; atransverse section of the same, at the line :1; a; of fig.-1 Figure 3, aperspective section of the cup, inverted; and Figure 4 a similar sectionto fig. 1, show ing another derice'for, exploding the torpedo.

In operating' oil-wellm'it has been found that their productiveness maybe greatly increascdby theuse oftorpedoes of suitable construction, bythe explosion of which in the well,- its diameter is enlargedaud.communication opened with veins of oil in the surrounding rock.

The objectof my invention-is to provide a'simple, safe,'and efiioienttorpedo, which can be exploded with certainty'at the momentdesired, andin. which the explosive material will be ignited in such man'ner-astoygive the full effect of'the charge-and when exploded, thetorpedo willbe broken into such minute fragments as not to choke the well or tointerfere with the pumping-machinery; to which ends my improvementsconsist First, in constructing; the-shell of the torpedo of glass,sulphur, cast iron, or other brittle substance,

- moulded in sections, and united by-cementing orfusing, so :is vtobemade of any required length, and impervious to water. I

Second, in providing the cap of tho torpcdowitli ajeircnlar projection,of angular or V-shape in crosssection, entering a corresponding groovein'the top of the upper section of the shell, for the purpose of com-.pressing the packing tightly, and preventing the entrance of water.

. Third,-in'the use of friction-primers, placed at difi'crcnt pointsin'the length 'ofthe torpedo, and connected and operated so as to heignited at one-and th'e snmc time, thus h'urning all the explosivematerial in the torpedo. and causing its full cilcct to .be' exerted.

Fourth, in a perforated tube, enclosing one or more of thefriction-primers, and extending to or near the bottom of the torpedo, soas to communicate ignition to the explosive material below the lowestprimer, in cases where the torpedo is made of such length that itmightbe difiicult to explode the primersif continued through its wholeextent.

Fifth, in the manner, hereinafter described, of causing the explosion,so as to obviate risk of the same occurring before the proper time. p

In the accompanying drawings, \vhichshow a convenient arrangement ofparts for carrying-out the objects of my invention, A represents theshell of the torpedo, which is composed of glass, porcelain, sulphur,glue, .cast iron, 0r other brittle substance, moulded in sections ofasgreat a length as can be conveniently done, and

united by some strong and water-proof cement, or by fusion.

By constructing the shell of a brittle material, it is broken intosuchminute fragments by the explosion as .not to choke the well, or causeany derangement to the mechanism of the pump; and by making it insection, united in the manner dcscribcd, I am enabledto use glass fora'torpcdo of any dcsired leng th, which could not otherwise be done, onaccount of the difficulty of moulding glass longer than about sixteeninches.

The torpedo 'is closed by a'cap or cover, A, secured to a flange onits'upper section by bolts and nuts, a, having suitable packinginterposed, to make a. water-tight joint. The cap-bolts can rest invertical slots formed in the periphery of theflahge, if the lattercannot be conveniently drilled.

A ircul r projection, 11, of ngular or V-shape in cross-section, isformed upon the bottom of the capA',

and enters a corresponding groove in the flange or top of the uppersection, and when the nuts are screwed up the packing is compressed intothe groove and a perfectly tightjointinsured.

A metallic rod, B, is screwed or otherwise firmly fastened to the bottomof the cap A, and extends to the bottom of the torpedo ornearlyso, beingperforated with holes at dilferent points in its length, in whichfrictionamass 2 primers, 6, of ordinary construction are inserted, andsecured by tying or other suitable means. Any number of primers desiredmay be employed,,'.dep ending upon the length of the torpedo. The wiresby which the rimers are discharged are connected to a cord, 0, thetension ofwhich isregnlated so that they will all be discharged at onenndlhe some time. By'this means the explosii'e material is iznitedatseveral points simultaneously, and entirely burned, thus exerting thefull eil'ec't of the charge.

The cord 0 passes out through a pipe, I), inserted in the. cap A, andproperly packed, to prevent the entrance of water, and is connected tothe wire cable D, by which the torpedo is lowered. A safety-string, E,is attached to the'cable D and to a lag. e, in the cap A, so as to bearthe weight of the torpedo, the cord C being slack between the upperprimer and the cable. A cord, F, is likewise attached to the lug e.

In cases where the torpedo is of so great a length .as would make itdiflicult'to operate-the primers if carried through its whole length,Iemploy a thin metallic tube, G, perforated throughout its length withnumerous small holes, and extending from the lowest primer to the bottom'of the torpedo, or nearly so, the hbles being made so small-as not toallow the powder to pass through them. When theprimers are discharged;the fire from the lowest primer is communicated along the tube G; bymeans of its perforations, to the explosive material below it, whichwillthus be burned with its full effect, however long the torpedo may bemade.

The operation of my torpedo is as, follows: The frod B being secured tothe capA', and the primers 6 and cord Cheing placed in position, asshown in fig. 1, the cap is then secured upon the torpedo, which isfilled with powder, or otherexplnsivo compound,-through the pipe 6',which isthen properly packed to prevent the entrance of water. Thetorpedo is then lowered into the well by the cord F until it reaches thefluid, or for a sulficient distance to obviate risk to the operator,when the cord F is slackened and tied to the cable D. The weight of thetorpedo being now supported by the cable D and safety-string E, it islowered to the point where it is desired that the explosion shalltake'place, when the safety-string E being fractured by a sudden jerk,the weight of the torpedo comes upon the cord 0, and the primers 6 aresimultaneously discharged.

Fig. 4 shows the parts in the positions they occupy -at this moment.

Having thus fully described my improved torpedo, what I claim therein asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The perforated tubeG, arranged and operating substantially as described, for the purpose ofcommunicating ignition to the explosive material at the lower part ofthe torpedo, as set forth.

2. The primer-cord G, safety-string E, and cable D, in combination withthe primers 15, substantially as described.

3. The supplementary cord F, connected and operating as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. The rod B, in combination with the primers 6 and cap A, as set forth.

ELIAS BEACH. Witnesses-z J. SNOWDEN BELL,

FREDK. ANDRE.

